The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming less painful. Modern models mop and climb (small) stairs.
They have a small dustbin that they empty themselves, and some can be operated by a smartphone app instead of the physical remote. Some come with mapping features to aid in navigation.
1. robot vacuum cleaners
With an impressive 8,000Pa of suction Our top pick for robot vacuums is powerful enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide beneath furniture such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair and other messes around corners and baseboards.
Aside from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, other high-powered bots on this list include the IRobot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a powerful docking station that automates maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction, combined with its efficient mopping, made sure my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints, and other debris on every type of floor we tested.
A model that has 2500Pa suction should be sufficient for the majority of homes in the lower price range. They are also quieter, which makes them the ideal option for people who have sensitive hearing. They're still not quiet, but they're just the same volume as normal conversations at home.
Take into consideration your budget and cleaning requirements to find the right combination of power and convenience. For light-duty cleaning that is frequent you will require a longer time-to-run and less suction is needed. Weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Assess your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules prior to selecting the best model. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings to learn more about the most recent models. Many users report that their carpets and floors look cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job if it does not know how to navigate around your home. The best robots use sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and make maps, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three major kinds of robot navigation: LiDAR-based sensor-based, and camera-based.
LiDAR is utilized by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, which provides the highest levels of precision and efficiency. The less expensive models rely on bump sensors, which can be more inaccurate and are more likely to miss many debris in dark areas. The majority of robots have cliff sensors that keep them from falling off stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used objects recognition to navigate through things like fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. robot vacuum cleaners had excellent mapping capabilities with powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean by zones, rooms or even the whole house.
Think about features like floor type sensors that automatically increase suction power when needed. Certain robots, like the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solutions to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller bin will require less frequent emptying while a larger one will cost less to replace. The cheapest robotic cleaners usually utilize a small disposable dust bag, whereas the majority of mid-range models come with larger dust bins of 3L that last for ages. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their bins and fill their water tanks, allowing convenience without hands.
3. App control
The majority of robot vacuums have an app that can monitor cleaning progress, schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices. Most also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to allow voice-controlled control. Some models have a remote control that allows you to start the process, pause it, and return to dock. Choose a model that has an extra large dustbin and is able to self-empty instead of one that needs manual emptying.
Certain robovacs have mapping technology that helps them remember obstacles, such as the stairs, and also avoid running into furniture. Others allow you to set no-go zones or targeted rooms, so that they only clean the areas that require the most. They also have a cliff detector to keep them from falling, which is helpful in multi-leveled homes.
If you plan to use your robot vacuum for cleaning carpets, select one that can be used for wet and dry mopping. You'll be able to get better results from a robot vac that can remove its own mop pad too, which you can then wash and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a model that has a rubber roller that is less susceptible to tangles from pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll, as found on some smaller models. Check the robot's side brush and brushroll for any debris that has gotten stuck on. Do this once or twice per week. If you notice that they are getting clogged it might be time to replace parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are made, as the name suggests to remove dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums will collect small particles such as baking soda and sand, as well as larger ones such as metal screws, orzo, and pet hair. They also have better results on low pile carpets than many manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores higher than 95 percent. Our two best-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated, with robust docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and app features that make them incredibly user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They can also clean the washboards as they mow. They also have 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology that helps them find their way around even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS model is also one of the only robots we tested that can take its mop pads and vacuum carpet, which makes it the ideal option for those who need to change between mopping and vacuuming frequently.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, check out the Roomba Combo J7 by iRobot Plus, our budget pick. It has LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It can be a bit slow in mapping rooms and is prone to bumping into obstacles, but the cost is less than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are designed to let you move to work while keeping your floors in tip-top clean. You'll still need to manually clean your home from time to time however, robovacs can aid in maintaining a certain level of cleanliness and even keep your home clean when you're away.
Look for a robovac with a long-lasting battery to get the most of it. A good rule of thumb is to anticipate a model to last for around two cleaning sessions if you run it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a full-sized vacuum, but should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't wish to wait while your robovac recharges you can select a model that will automatically return to the base station for charging.
If you're looking to buy a robovac with a variety of features in it, then consider an option that also mop. Eufy's X10, the best model in this class comes with self-emptying and self refilling for the dust bin as well as the water tank and the mop pad. It can be programmed to automatically refill and wash its mops as soon as they run out.
The clear winner of our tests is the Dyson V810, due to its outstanding carpet and hard floor pickup, excellent hair pickup, tangle-free performance and nearly perfect auto empty score. It's expensive, and unless you have a small house with no pets, it might be too expensive for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the runner-up and has a similar performance, but it costs 25 percent less.